How To Play: Ramparts

Ramparts is a blast. You manage resources, place towers smartly, and deal with endless waves of enemies. I learned the hard way that poor tower spacing leads to disaster—my friends still mock me! Use this guide to crush it in How To Play ramparts and become the castle hero.

Ramparts: Box Cover Front

Overview

If you’ve ever lost friends over a tense game, you probably haven’t played Ramparts yet. My regular game night crew and I tackled this tower defense classic, and wow, did it test our friendships (in the best way). This guide gives you a quick rundown of the rules and covers my top tips, so you’ll know How To Play ramparts—and win. Let’s just say, don’t let Dave run the resource pile.

What’s in the box

  • 1 Game board
  • 4 Player screens
  • 60 Wall tiles
  • 40 Tower pieces
  • 80 Gold tokens
  • 25 Resource cards
  • 30 Attack cards
  • 12 Dice
  • 1 Rulebook
  • 4 Reference cards

How To Play Ramparts: Rules Summary

Game Setup

  1. Place the main board in the middle of your table. Make sure everyone can reach it. If not, get a bigger table.
  2. Give each player their rampart tokens, meeples, and reference card. If someone eats one, subtract one point from their final score.
  3. Shuffle the event and enemy decks, then place them face down. Put all resource tokens and coins in easy reach. Snack bowls can go on the side, but not too close to the cards.
  4. Each player draws their starting hand and places their initial towers as the rulebook says. Yes, even if you think you know better.

Gameplay

  1. On your turn, first collect resources from your controlled zones. This is not a drill—grab what you can, but follow the rules.
  2. Next, play cards from your hand to build, upgrade, or repair your ramparts.
  3. Place new towers, upgrade old ones, or patch up holes. If your ramparts look as bad as my roof after a storm, you probably need repairs.
  4. When ready, draw and resolve an enemy card. Place enemies, and use any special effects they unleash (because enemies never show up quietly).
  5. End your turn by cleaning up, discarding down to your hand limit, and passing to the next player—unless they took a bathroom break.

Winning

  1. The game ends when the final enemy wave destroys the last rampart—or, by some miracle, when you shoot down every last baddie.
  2. Count your victory points, earned for ramparts standing, towers built, and special objectives. If you have the most points, you win and get bragging rights for the week.

Special Rules & Conditions

  1. Some cards or events can change the rules for a turn. For example, double resource gain, or a hungry squirrel steals your coins. Well, maybe not the squirrel, but always check the event cards.
  2. If a rampart is destroyed, that player loses some points and a bit of dignity.
  3. Players can sometimes trade resources. Be careful though—my friend traded all his gold for one stick. (He regrets it.)
  4. Always double-check the How To Play ramparts section if you’re unsure about a rule. It saved us from three arguments and two friendships.

With these rules, you’ll be ready to play Ramparts without flipping the table. Remember: be bold, use your resources, and have fun defending those precious walls!

Best Ramparts Strategies

Ramparts Resource Management: How Not to Go Broke!

Plan Your Spending

How To Play ramparts isn’t just about luck. You must plan your gold use! Spend, but only when you really need to.

  1. Make a rough budget before the round starts.
  2. Save for emergencies–those goblins pop up out of nowhere!
  3. Don’t overbuild early, or you’ll regret it later.

Upgrade Wisely

Instead of grabbing every shiny upgrade, focus on key ones.

  1. Pick upgrades that help your style of play.
  2. Don’t waste coins on what you don’t need.

Share With Your Team

Listen, don’t be a resource hog. If a teammate needs gold, help them out!

  1. Pool resources for big projects.
  2. Chat about which upgrades help the whole team most.

Ramparts Winning Move: Mastering Tower Placement

Watch Those Corners

  1. Place towers at choke points where enemies turn. This way, you get more shots per tower.

  2. Always eyeball areas with the most traffic. Corners often let you cover two paths at once.

Distance For Efficiency

  1. Don’t bunch towers up. Instead, spread them to cover a wider range.

  2. Use long-range towers at the back. This keeps the front clear and the back strong.

Tower Types Matter

  1. Mix up tower types for combo effects. Try splash damage next to slow towers for a real mess-up.

  2. Swap towers’ spots if you see weak points as you play. Change is good!

Don’t Forget Path Overlap

  1. Place towers where their circles overlap for total damage mayhem.

  2. If a tower can hit enemies twice along the path, you’re golden.

Stop the Horde: Handling Waves Like a Ramparts Pro

Stay Alert and Adapt Fast

Every new wave changes things. If you get comfy, you lose. I once forgot a new wave was coming while eating nachos—bad idea. Do this instead:

  1. Watch the spawn points every round.
  2. Change your plan if you spot a sneaky new wave.
  3. Don’t stash all your units in one spot—spread them!

Time Your Abilities

Timing is key. Hit the big enemy mobs when they clump up. Otherwise, you waste your cooldowns and, trust me, regrets will follow.

  1. Save powerful skills for crowded waves.
  2. Stun, freeze, or slow enemies right before they reach your weak points.

Read the Enemy Types

Not all baddies are the same. My friends always panic at the flying ones. Here’s what to do:

  1. Use the right defenses for each type—anti-air for flying, heavy hitters for armored.
  2. Always check the next wave info ahead of time.

If you use these strategies, enemy waves become less scary and more like a well-planned parade—one you actually want to see!

Learning how to play ramparts is easier when you keep cool, watch those waves, and tweak your plan each round. Next thing you know, you’re showing off in front of your friends—nachos and all.

Wrapping Up Your Ramparts Rampage

Let me tell you, after way too many late nights and snacks lost to my hungry friends, I can promise that strategy in Ramparts is never boring. If you manage your resources, place your towers smart, and keep your head when the waves roll in, you’ll do better than my buddy Steve, who somehow always forgets step one. If you haven’t tried it yet, learning How To Play ramparts gives you a real edge. Now go build those walls and show your friends who’s the boss!

Want to know what we think of Ramparts? Read our detailed review of Ramparts here

Jamie in his proper element: With all of his board games
Jamie Hopkins

With years of dice-rolling, card-flipping, and strategic planning under my belt, I've transformed my passion into expertise. I thrive on dissecting the mechanics and social dynamics of board games, sharing insights from countless game nights with friends. I dive deep into gameplay mechanics, while emphasizing the social joys of gaming. While I appreciate themes and visuals, it's the strategy and camaraderie that truly capture my heart.